Montessori Schools are a great choice for both local and expat families as they offer globally recognized curricula, outstanding academics plus a nurturing environment for children. Discover our selection of the best Montessori Schools , including reviews, fees, and why families choose them.
Why choose a Montessori school?
Choosing a Montessori school for your child’s education is more than just a schooling choice; it’s a decision to invest in a unique, holistic approach to learning that emphasizes independence, respect, and personal development. The Montessori method, developed by Dr. Maria Montessori in the early 20th century, has grown in popularity and effectiveness, recognized globally for its innovative and child-centered teaching techniques.
Child-Centered Learning
One of the core tenets of Montessori education is its focus on crafting learning experiences around the individual learner rather than imposing a one-size-fits-all curriculum. In Montessori schools, children are encouraged to explore activities at their own pace. This autonomy builds confidence and fosters a love of learning that many traditional educational models struggle to achieve. Children become active participants in their education, making choices about their learning activities, which enhances their decision-making skills and independence.
Prepared Environment
Montessori classrooms are meticulously organized and crafted to suit the needs of children at various stages of development. Each environment is equipped with materials and activities that align with the students’ natural interests and developmental stages. This prepared environment is key to facilitating independent learning and exploration. The layout and the materials within are designed to be accessible to the child, promoting autonomy and responsibility.
Development of Social Skills
In Montessori schools, mixed age classrooms are standard. This setup not only mirrors the real world, where individuals of varying ages interact, but also promotes a myriad of social benefits. Older students often take on mentorship roles with younger peers, which reinforces their own learning and fosters a sense of community and empathy. Moreover, it allows younger children to receive personalized guidance from their older classmates, in addition to their teachers.
Emphasis on Life Skills
Montessori education extends beyond academic skills, placing significant emphasis on developing life skills. Practical life activities are a staple in Montessori classrooms, teaching children essential skills such as cooking, cleaning, and gardening. These activities not only teach practical abilities but also help children develop motor skills, self-discipline, and the ability to concentrate for extended periods.
Respect for Natural Development
The Montessori method respects the natural psychological development of children. It operates on the principle that children go through several sensitive periods, times when they are particularly capable of absorbing certain types of knowledge. Montessori schools tailor their teaching to these sensitive periods, making the most of the natural spikes in cognitive and social readiness.
In conclusion, the choice of a Montessori school can profoundly impact your child’s personal and academic growth. The Montessori method’s well-rounded approach not only prepares children to excel academically but also equips them with the key social and practical skills needed for lifelong success. This educational style provides a solid foundation, making learning a joyous and fulfilling process throughout life.
How much do Montessori Schools cost?
Category | Low Range | High Range |
|---|---|---|
Annual Tuition | $8,000 | $20,000 |
Monthly Tuition Equivalent | $670 | $1,670 |
Registration Fee (one-time) | $500 | $1,000 |
Uniforms & Materials | $200 | $400 |
Extras & Trips | $500 | $2,000 |
Total Est. Annual Cost | $9,200 | $24,400 |
Top rated Montessori Schools in the World
Discover top Schools . Use the filters to find the right fit and contact schools directly from their profiles.
The English Montessori School 
-
Spain - Madrid
- Co-Education
- 1 to 18 years old
- School type:International School
- Yearly fee: 5,000 - 13,450 eur
- Curriculum:British Curriculum, IB Curriculum, Montessori, Spanish Curriculum
- Foundation:1973
- Community: 900 students • 26 nationalities
- Examinations:A Level, AS, IB Diploma, IGCSE
- Language:English, Spanish
- Emphasizes personalized, holistic growth
- Nurtures multilingual proficiency
- Promotes global citizenship values
Annual tuition fees at The English Montessori School range from 5,000 eur to 13,450 eur, depending on the student's grade level and program.
Additional Fees: Registration Fee (non-refundable. One-time payment): 600€ Place reservation fee: 400€ Single payment at registration every school year, which will be deducted from the first tuition fee invoice. Deposit...
International School of Geneva
-
Switzerland - Geneva
- Co-Education
- 3 to 18 years old
- School type:International School
- Yearly fee: 20,000 - 35,830 chf
- Curriculum:Cambridge Curriculum, IB Curriculum, Montessori, Other, Swiss Curriculum
- Foundation:1924
- Community: 4500 students • 143 nationalities
- Examinations:Cambridge, IB Diploma, IB MYP, IGCSE, Swiss Matura
- Language:Bilingual, English, French
- Unsurpassed multilingual education
- Inclusive, globally-focused ethos
- Pioneering International Baccalaureate
Annual tuition fees at International School of Geneva range from 20,000 chf to 35,830 chf, depending on the student's grade level and program.
Tuition fees include books and teaching material.Tuition Fees do not include in particular the following:• Capital Development Funding of CHF 500 (for capital cost and equipment)• Tutorial fees including “World...
St. Nicholas School Pinheiros
-
Brazil - Sao Paulo
- Co-Education
- 1 to 18 years old
- School type:International School
- Yearly fee: 94,500 - 159,125 brl
- Curriculum:IB Curriculum, Montessori
- Foundation:1980
- Community: 710 students • 21 nationalities
- Examinations:IB Diploma, IGCSE
- Language:Bilingual, English, Portuguese
- Bilingual learning for global fluency
- Integrating tech in real-world learning
- Emphasizing character, empathy, respect
Annual tuition fees at St. Nicholas School Pinheiros range from 94,500 brl to 159,125 brl, depending on the student's grade level and program.
Tiny Tots I, Tiny Tots II (08:00 - 12:00): R$ 7.560,00/month Nursery to Grade 5: R$ 10.320,00/month Grade 6 to Year 12: R$ 12.730,00/month Others Fees: Resource & Technology Fee...
St. Nicholas School Alphaville
-
Brazil - Sao Paulo
- Co-Education
- 1 to 16 years old
- School type:International School
- Yearly fee: 94,500 - 159,125 brl
- Curriculum:IB Curriculum, Montessori
- Foundation:2016
- Community: 474 students • 18 nationalities
- Examinations:IB Diploma
- Language:Bilingual, English, Portuguese
- Bilingual teaching, global perspective.
- Emphasizes creative thinking skills.
- Sports, arts, tech in balance.
Annual tuition fees at St. Nicholas School Alphaville range from 94,500 brl to 159,125 brl, depending on the student's grade level and program.
Tiny Tots I, Tiny Tots II & Nursery (08:00 - 12:00): R$ 7.070,00/month Kindergarten 1 to Grade 5: R$ 9.696,00/month Grade 6 to Year 12: R$ 12.020,00/month Others Fees: -...
Colegio San Patricio
-
Spain - Madrid
- Co-Education
- 1 to 18 years old
- School type:International School
- Yearly fee: 6,200 - 11,000 eur
- Curriculum:IB Curriculum, Montessori, Spanish Curriculum
- Foundation:1958
- Community: 2200 students • 25 nationalities
- Examinations:IB Diploma
- Language:English, Spanish
- Bilingual immersion from age 1
- Dedicated focus on emotional intelligence
- Unique Theatre in Education program
Annual tuition fees at Colegio San Patricio range from 6,200 eur to 11,000 eur, depending on the student's grade level and program.
Blue Valley School
-
San Jose - Escazu
- Co-Education
- 2 to 18 years old
- School type:International School
- Yearly fee: 10,600 - 17,750 usd
- Curriculum:American Curriculum, IB Curriculum, Montessori
- Foundation:1989
- Community: 881 students • 40 nationalities
- Examinations:American Diploma, AP, IB Diploma, SAT
- Language:Bilingual, English, Spanish
- Bilingual immersion from Day 1
- Cutting-edge Tech and Innovation Lab
- Renowned for robust arts program
Annual tuition fees at Blue Valley School range from 10,600 usd to 17,750 usd, depending on the student's grade level and program.
Montessori British School Murcia
-
Murcia - Murcia city
- Co-Education
- 2 to 18 years old
- School type:Day & Boarding School
- Yearly fee: 3,500 - 20,000 eur
- Curriculum:British Curriculum, Montessori
- Foundation:2014
- Community: 81 students • 14 nationalities
- Examinations:A Level, BTEC, IGCSE, Pearson Edexcel
- Language:English, Spanish
- Bilingual Montessori and British curriculum
- Eco-friendly campus with organic garden
- Strong focus on emotional intelligence
Annual tuition fees at Montessori British School Murcia range from 3,500 eur to 20,000 eur, depending on the student's grade level and program.
Our flexible system allows us to tailor tuition and fees to families's needs and chosen programs. We offer personalized fees and different options to study with us (on-line education, day...We offer different fees for midweek boarding school from Monday to Friday and full year boarding school from September to June (except school holidays). And week boarding, monthly... Let's talk!Insights & Updates from Montessori Schools
Expert Insights from Montessori Schools
Discover Popular Destinations
Parent and Student Reviews
- September, 2025I think it’s the best English School in Madrid. I love it, and I know my daughter is well while she’s there.
- Our experience in Montessori British is really good, we started many years ago. We see the students, and feel very proud that they have had the opportunity to study here, the teachers have been vital during the learning process and have helped to become who the students are today but foremost important who they will become in the future. I see students who succeed here when noone believe in them, and they are going to University to full of experience and selfsteem
- December, 2023Both my children have been in St. Nicholas since they were very small, so for them, it’s not about having to learn English. It’s natural, they live it. The mixture of Portuguese and English, a little bit more of Portuguese when they are smaller, starts becoming mostly English as they grow.
The school works with the IB methodology, which is something spectacular for the children.
To me, it is more important that they “learn how to learn”. This is something I worry about and is solved and reflected in the education here at St. Nicholas. The children are stimulated to understand and look at what is different, to stop and really think. - December, 2023I wanted my children to study in an International School and have the opportunity that I didn’t have because there were no international schools in Alphaville.
In addition to the parents’ day meetings, the teachers make sure to let us know during the year of any difficulties that the children might be having. They present solutions for that and also allow children to discover their own solution to that difficulty.
Through the IB method, which I believe is fantastic, that encourages the students’ autonomy to think, find solutions to challenges by themselves, to talk about inclusion, learn about different cultures. - December, 2023I can understand that at St. Nicholas, she will have the opportunity to really focus on where she has her strengths and I think this will contribute to her growing as a better person. In an international environment that gives you all the tools you need to adapt to the different, I guess, different cultures that we have in Brazil and the international people we have in Brazil as well.
As much international background and experience that I can give her now, I think it will make her life easier or at least she will be better placed in the future to deal with all the different challenges that we face at the moment.
For me, education of the future is actually giving our children and our grandchildren all the tools that we can to help them adapt. Education-wise and information-wise we have everything. - December, 2023We are a family that will probably always be moving around the world. So we had to have a continuation in the learning and realised that the IB has a teaching framework that allows validation and continuation in different countries without interrupting the learning process of the children.
St. Nicholas won the hearts of our daughters with the warmth in which everyone welcomed them. We arrived without speaking any Portuguese obviously, so they only spoke Spanish, and little by little they started integrating the English language into their lives, and then they started speaking Portuguese which is the language they speak with their friends. It was definitely the best choice we made.
I never had trouble making the girls go to school. Even being a family that is not Brazilian, I thought the adaptation process would be longer, but I realised that it was fast because they started understanding and really feeling the school as a second home.
The education of the future With innovation and soft skills, we have to prepare them for a digital era without losing their principles as human beings, where it is very important to be empathic and be connected. - Both my children have been in St. Nicholas since they were very small, so for them, it’s not about having to learn English. It’s natural, they live it. The mixture of Portuguese and English, a little bit more of Portuguese when they are smaller, starts becoming mostly English as they grow.
The school works with the IB methodology, which is something spectacular for the children.
To me, it is more important that they “learn how to learn”. This is something I worry about and is solved and reflected in the education here at St. Nicholas. The children are stimulated to understand and look at what is different, to stop and really think. - December, 2023I wanted my children to study in an International School and have the opportunity that I didn’t have because there were no international schools in Alphaville.
In addition to the parents’ day meetings, the teachers make sure to let us know during the year of any difficulties that the children might be having. They present solutions for that and also allow children to discover their own solution to that difficulty.
Through the IB method, which I believe is fantastic, that encourages the students’ autonomy to think, find solutions to challenges by themselves, to talk about inclusion, learn about different cultures. - December, 2023I can understand that at St. Nicholas, she will have the opportunity to really focus on where she has her strengths and I think this will contribute to her growing as a better person. In an international environment that gives you all the tools you need to adapt to the different, I guess, different cultures that we have in Brazil and the international people we have in Brazil as well.
As much international background and experience that I can give her now, I think it will make her life easier or at least she will be better placed in the future to deal with all the different challenges that we face at the moment.
For me, education of the future is actually giving our children and our grandchildren all the tools that we can to help them adapt. Education-wise and information-wise we have everything. - December, 2023I can understand that at St. Nicholas, she will have the opportunity to really focus on where she has her strengths and I think this will contribute to her growing as a better person. In an international environment that gives you all the tools you need to adapt to the different, I guess, different cultures that we have in Brazil and the international people we have in Brazil as well.
As much international background and experience that I can give her now, I think it will make her life easier or at least she will be better placed in the future to deal with all the different challenges that we face at the moment.
For me, education of the future is actually giving our children and our grandchildren all the tools that we can to help them adapt. Education-wise and information-wise we have everything. - December, 2023We are a family that will probably always be moving around the world. So we had to have a continuation in the learning and realised that the IB has a teaching framework that allows validation and continuation in different countries without interrupting the learning process of the children.
St. Nicholas won the hearts of our daughters with the warmth in which everyone welcomed them. We arrived without speaking any Portuguese obviously, so they only spoke Spanish, and little by little they started integrating the English language into their lives, and then they started speaking Portuguese which is the language they speak with their friends. It was definitely the best choice we made.
I never had trouble making the girls go to school. Even being a family that is not Brazilian, I thought the adaptation process would be longer, but I realised that it was fast because they started understanding and really feeling the school as a second home.
The education of the future With innovation and soft skills, we have to prepare them for a digital era without losing their principles as human beings, where it is very important to be empathic and be connected. - February, 2023I spent 6 years at Colegio San Patricio, later on I went to the US to study Industrial Engineering, on my return to Spain I started working in a beverage import company and after I got my MBA at the Instituto de Empresa I decided to create a company with other partners to develop and create brands that could transcend within and outside of Spain. In my professional and academic life, the training and especially the values of the school have always been very close to me and the decisions I make. A school full of people who, through dignity, sacrifice and effort were great role models. All the staff and teachers showed love and peace, making a better world, which are concepts in which I deeply believe and that I have also wanted to transmit to my sons, that currently study at San Patricio. I firmly believe in the education they give our children, and they care about developing their students to be responsible leaders of the future.
Summary
Choosing a Montessori school offers a holistic educational approach focusing on independence, respect, and personal development. The method emphasizes child-centered learning, practical life skills, and social development within a carefully prepared environment. This nurturing educational setting not only fosters academic excellence but also equips children with essential life skills for future success.